The "wood like" lite charcol is definately the way to go. I put in a layer about 2-3 inches deep, soak with lighter fluid, let stand 5 minutes, ignite... After the charcol ashes over and is hot, start layering on coal, couple inches at a time with the ash pan door open.. This method has worked best for me I have a hand fed, using nut size...

Here is my latest gadget for my stoker. Add 1/2 sheet of crumbled newspaper, cup of crushed cowboy charcoal, 2 cups of coal. Light with torch in small hole in the bottom, turn on stove, wait 5 or so minutes, turn stove off knock steel cylinder into ash bucket for retrieval at next ash cleanout. Turn stove back on and you are in business.

2001Sierra wrote:Here is my latest gadget for my stoker. Add 1/2 sheet of crumbled newspaper, cup of crushed cowboy charcoal, 2 cups of coal. Light with torch in small hole in the bottom, turn on stove, wait 5 or so minutes, turn stove off knock steel cylinder into ash bucket for retrieval at next ash cleanout. Turn stove back on and you are in business.

Way cool! I use a piece of old spring steel bent to a U , but yours looks wild. Very nice idea....thanks.

Charcol and Mapp gas torch... tried the paper and charcol thing, worked ok most of the time... mapp gas torch has worked every time. Put the charcol on the tray,pile 5 or 6 on a little pile, break one into pieces if you want. hold the torch to it a few minutes then put a few handfuls of coal, i use rice, on top. turn her on and watch the temp gauge respond....

Benchkey wrote:HI: I've been burning Pea coal for 3 seasons and found an easy way to get my coal fire going. I lay in a bed of Pea coal then place wood pellets on top of it, followed by a sparse sprinkling of coal. Then I give the pellets a shot of liquid charcoal lighter fluid. Strike a match to it and shut the door. I make sure the bottom air intake is open and in 10 or so minutes I have a nice solid coal fire.

On the down side, there is sometimes a hint of the lighter fluid in the air, but that dissipates quickly.

I do about the same with the addition of a small amount of lump charcoal ... (I use heating oil v lighter fluid ... same effect I imagine).

I still use matchlight charcoal. Hit it with a torch for a few seconds, wait about 2 - 3 minutes and turn the combustion fan on. Once it's going good, I sprinkle some rice on it and turn the feed on by selecting heat and turning the t-stat up.

This is how I light my KA-6. I use easy light charcoal and crush it into small pieces. Use Map Gas torch to light that. Than add some coal,when that starts add some more. Don't forget to put the feed in neutral. Than when you have a good fire put it in gear and enjoy!

eberlintom wrote:I used my last 3 "mice" ............. Turn on the motors and in ten minutes all was hot and fully lit.

Mice, motors, and plugs... What kind of stoves are you guys running? Mine is a DS Stove, 1500 has no electric, no motor, no blower just two doors and a control dohicky in the back hooked to the air inlet control. I'm not sure I would want to hold a heat gun on high inside my stove. The charcoal idea seems like it might work. I'll be trying that one tomorrow. If that doesn't work I may call the guy who sold me the coal. Maybe it's my chimney.

On the boiler and the handfed: Newspaper and very dry wood scraps, preferably nice dry lumber. I get a nice roaring woodfire going and start adding coal a little at a time. Usually block the baro on the handfed first so I get the most draft possible. A vigorous wood fire gets the coal burning every time.

The flatbed stokers are tricky, when I had the Alaska lighting it was always an adventure. I used a U shaped piece of stovepipe to hold the fire on the grate until the coal got going, then I would knock the piece of metal off into the ashpan.